Dave Naffziger's Blog

After exceeding 150 comments on post detailing my original experience getting a same day passport, I decided to go through the comments and separate the experiences and helpful tips by passport office.

These comments and tips were related to people’s experiences at the Chicago Passport Office.

From Jorge:

Thank you soooo much.
I just did this the 5 of March at the Chicago location.
It’s a lot easier if you have all the paperwork done ahead of time.
Have all you stuff organized in a folder for an even easier in and out.

Just to let people know, they prioritize in this order.
1.Appointments.
2.Earliest flight departure.

So even though I was there at 7:50, I was one of the last people to get to a window. (@ about 9:45)
9:00 Appointments went first. Then people that had flights on the same day, the earlier the flight
the more they got moved forward. By that time people with 9:30 appointments began to show up
so they went on ahead of me and a few others. At this point there was only 5 of us waiting (without an appointment)
to get to a window.
* Be nice to the security guards and the people inside the office and everything will go smooth.
* Don’t forget even though you show up at 8:00, the office don’t open till 9:00.
* Don’t loose you patience because people are moving ahead of you, even if they showed up later than you. You will more than likely be in and serviced before 10:00 am.

Good Luck

From Jenn:

Like everyone else here…. had a family vacation planned to Mexico and we were all ready to leave today. Looked at my son’s passport two days ago and discovered it expired 3 WEEKS ago! I about had heart failure.

Thinking we couldn’t even go on our trip…. but my friend mentioned maybe you can get an emergency passport and then I thought aha! and then even better found this website. Luckily I live somewhat near Chicago and can get there rather easily.

I live in far north suburbs of Chicago.

My suggestions would be also:
-called the second I figured out we could get a one day passport to make an appt and luckily they had one 11:30 monday morning
-we rebooked our flight till tomorrow morning
-take the train if you can ($28 round trip for me and my son, no parking necessary and no traffic but leave early)
-we took the Milwaukee North Line out of Fox Lake
-Union Station is literally 5 blocks from the Federal Building, we walked and took 10 mins. just make sure you go out the Jackson St. exit
-Go to 230 S. Dearborn (corner of Jackson and Dearborn)
-I showed up early, before they opened at about 8:45am and they open at 9am even though I had a 11:30am appt just to see if we could get processed earlier and put my mind to rest
-You wait in a hallway up on the 18th floor
-They start letting people in a little before 9am and get you moving quick
-Have all paperwork in advance prepared since they will ask you for it all (birth cert, email copy of itinerary, passport photos, passport application -just downloaded off the website and completed)
-Hand it over
-They review and hand back with a number
-Tell you to go sit and wait till you are called
-Get called again and review paperwork again and pay ($160 for my minor sons)
-Tell you to come back at 1pm to pick up the new passport
-Shopped with my son on State Street for a few hours, went out to lunch
-Picked up and out the door by 1:30pm
-Back on the train at 2:30pm
-Home at 4:15pm

I would note that we were traveling the next day and not sure if you are traveling more than a few days out how that works or if you have to come back.

Highly recommend get an appt if you can by calling that number- I was asked three times if I had an appt. But walk ins were also there and processed.

Security guards were beyond nice and helpful. Knew exactly where to send us the minute we walked in. When we came back to pick up the passport- one guard even said “Wecome back!”

I do think this process may be a well hidden secret for the small amount of people that were there on a Monday morning but what an absolute lifesaver and we are joining our family in Cancun tomorrow morning.

From Thomas:

First of all, let me say thank you to Dave.

This blog saved my life.

And maybe my job.

I showed up at the Chicago facility at 8:30. It opens at 9. When I got to the 18th floor, there were already about 20 people lined up. At about 8:50, they said those with appointments could line up on the left, with the rest staying on the right. I had an appointment. So if you already have an appointment, I don’t think it’s necessary to get there too early. They’ll give you your own special line at 9 anyway.

In the space of about 10 minutes I had handed my paperwork to the person behind the window and was done.
I had everything filled out in advance, which I’d recommend you do. It was supposed to be ready at 1. It was ready at 2:30. Other than that, it went smoothly.

IMPORTANT: my appointment originally was for 10 am Tuesday. That’s the best I could get. Since I had to fly out the day before, Monday, I went down there hoping to get accepted as a walk-in. My sense is I could have gotten it done regardless, but I followed the advice of a poster on this blog saying to keep calling the automated line back if you need an earlier time, because people cancel.

Sure enough, when I got off the train at 8:30 this morning to walk to the passport agency, I called the automated line one more time, and got an appointment at 9, right when they opened.

I had tried 4-5 times the day before to move up my appointment without success, so word to the wise, it pays to keep trying.

THANK YOU again to Dave.
This blog was hugely helpful.

If you have had an experience at the Chicago passport office, please share it below. This tremendously helps future readers!